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Kupwara: “Mother I am bleeding,” were the last words of the youngest victim of cross border shelling Ziyan. He rushed to his mother’s lap and breathed his last within no time.

Majeed Ahmad Kataria, uncle of Ziyan, talking exclusively to news agency —Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that at the time when cross border shelling started on Sunday, all the kids were playing outside.

“As the intense shelling started, I fell flat on and my brother along with Ziyan and my kids ran towards their home. While rushing towards home, a splinter hit Ziyan and he called his mother saying he was hit,” said Kataria. “He found solace in his mother’s lap and breathed his last there only.”

Ziyan’s father was also injured while running for cover. “A splinter hit the left hand my brother Bashir Ahmad Kataria,” he said. He said that Ziyan was hit in his head and forehead just outside the door of his house. “In the corridor of his house, his mother was waiting for him,” Kataria told KNO.

He said Ziyan’s mother Naziya Begum saw her son’s head injured and blood oozing from the wounds. “She cried for help amid tears, but it was all over for Ziyan,” said Kataria.

Ziyan was not even able to shout out of the pain he suffered. “The heavy exchange of artillery was going on when he was hit. We couldn’t manage to rescue and evacuate him for medical attention,” Katria said. “Naziya went to him and held him in her lap and kept weeping in absence of any help for long, even after grave injury to him the exchange was going for at least next 15 minutes.”

He said the moment resembled the dooms day when he saw Ziyan’s father felling to his injuries and mother holding his dead son craving for help shouting to the sky. “The scene was really scary and everything was so disturbing and threatening like we all may get killed like him,” Kataria said.

Ziyan’s mother Naziya is in a deep shock, not able to utter a word. Perhaps, she is not able to come terms as it is not easy to see a minor son dying in her lap. It may be recalled that after April 5 episode when five militants and five soldiers of Special Forces Squad were killed in Keran sector of Kupwara, tension started mounted on the LoC in the district.

However, Sunday horror triggered by heavy exchange of mortar shells by the armies of India and Pakistan claimed three lives including a minor. The locals said they can’t forget the damage caused by Sunday shelling for years together as it was worst ever shelling they witnessed so far—(KNO)

Jammu: Laboratory block of SMGS (Sri Maharaja Gulab Singh) Hospital in Jammu was gutted in a fire incident on Wednesday night, official sources said.

The fire was noticed at around 9:15 pm following which an alarm was sounded. Soon fire tenders reached the spot and brought the flames under control, they said.

Talking to GNS, a police officer said that preliminary investigations point out to short circuit even as real cause of fire would be known after investigations are complete.

He said the laboratory block of the hospital has suffered damage. “Assessment about total loss would be worked out in due course of time,” he said. (GNS)

Pampore: Amid the lockdown to prevent the spread of COVID-19, a family in Pampore area of south Kashmir’s Pulwama district has been hosting mother-son duo from Mumbai for over a month now.

Nazir Ahmad Sheikh, resident of Patalbagh Pampore, who is hosting the mother-son duo from Mumbai, told news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), that they have been living with them from last one month after they got stranded in Kashmir due to the lockdown.

Javid Ahmad and his mother from Mumbai got stranded in Kashmir when the lockdown was announced on March 25 by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a bid to contain spread of Covid-19.

“I am providing them everything including food, accommodation and other daily essential because Almighty has bestowed me with the opportunity to look after them and they are my guests,” Nazir said.

He said that he will keep providing them whatever they need till lockdown is over and will take care of them like his own family members.

Javid Ahmad, who staying at Nazir home told KNO that they came to Kashmir in March and went through screening at Jawahar Tunnel and when everyone was asking non locals to go, Nazir helped them and asked them to stay put.

“After screening at Jawahar tunnel, our testes were repeated after 14 and their reports came negative too. We have not seen such kind of love and hospitality shown by Nazir’s family anywhere. Kashmiris are known for their hospitality and Nazir has proved it once again,” Javid said.

He said that as Kashmiris love and respected outsiders it is the duty of every outsider to love and respect them in similar manner—(KNO)

Srinagar: Cyber police on Tuesday claimed to have arrested a youth who had posted a “fake picture” on his Facebook page showing Pakistan flag raised at Lal Chowk Srinagar.

An official here in the cyber police told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) that they identified and later arrested the youth who had shared fake picture on his facebook page.
“This person had posted a picture on his facebook page showing Pakistan flag was raised at Gantaghar Lal Chowk. Immediately cyber police took action, identified and arrested him for sharing fake picture,” the official claimed.

SP Cyber Police Tahir Ashraf also confirmed the arrest. “The person had posted fake picture on his Facebook page showing Pakistani flag. We have arrested him and registered an FIR,” he told KINS.

He said that people should refrain from sharing fake videos, photos and false news. “We will not hesitate to take action against people who share fake news and indulge in rumour mongering,” he added.

Tahir Ashraf said that Cyber police is facing a massive challenge that of dealing with the “rumour mongers and fake account holders” who spread fake messages through social media with an aim to mislead people on various issues.

“We are monitoring everything what is going on in the social media. We try our best to stop the fake information in the current situation. We instantly block fake accounts and that’s not so easy,” Ashraf told KINS.
He also appealed the people to cooperate and inform cyber police if someone is spreading the fake information.

Ashraf revealed that few more people involved in spreading fake news have been identified and soon they will be arrested. (KINS)

Sumbal (Bandipora): Naziya Hurra’s life history isn’t less than a film story. Inspiring, aspiring and heart touching has been her life. She was born in a family where in education doesn’t had any importance at all.

However, her education was actually based on a condition, if she failed she can’t continue her education during difficulties. Despite so many hurdles she completed her education although she was experiencing a lot of problems. But Nazia never gave up, she had always encouraged herself.

This time nature had set a goal for her. Her nephew was born visually impaired. Everyone was shocked how could that happen. Naziya spend most of her time with him. She took her care like a mother. But that developed sense of social working in her. Later a thought knocked her mind.

It was her nephew isn’t the only one in world with lack of vision. There are thousand of children similar to him. She decided to dedicate her life for social work, for blind, for deaf etc. For that purpose she joined an organization in 2015. Now she is the leading social worker in Kashmir division.

Visiting door to door, some people crossed their limits by calling Naziya a begger. But she resisted and took those abusive words as motivation. she carried her mission forward. she visited at various schools , colleges, villages, universities and hotels etc for funds. During latest deadly pandemic covid-19, she served more than 600 families within just eight or nine days.

She is working for poor children, widows, orphans etc. More importantly without anyone support or help. She distributed daily basic things viz vegetables, mustard oil, flour, mask, sanitizer etc among needy families. In a society where girl’s birth is considered inferior over boy. She had proved them wrong. She is the real hero of society.

Without anyone’s help can had feed more than 600 families, imagine when helped or supported what could be the result.
I am requesting every single person to come forward and support me in my mission she posted in her facebook timeline.
“Working for humanity is my religion, please accept my religion”

Facing all the challenges in an uncertain atmosphere, some new faces prefer to work silently while serving people irrespective of faith and belief. This Social worker have become the voice of the people, trying her best to bring about socio-political changes in the valley. After generations, women are no longer passive victims, but agents of change.

(PTK)

Srinagar: People are miffed with the Srinagar authorities for damaging the roads in the name of erecting barricades for sealing the Red Zone areas.

A picture of Natipora area of Srinagar went viral on social networking sites. It shows road has been dug to erect barricades fitted with cross rods to prevent vehicular and pedestrian movement.

A Netizen wrote, “Govt is doing a great job by enforcing lockdown and sealing red zone areas. But is this way to seal areas. They are damaging our roads. This is a typical case of vandalization of resources in the name of COVID control.”
A social activist Shabir Ahmed also questioned the sealing of roads with iron gates.

“We are humans. We can have other medical emergencies. Where will the patient go in case a person from red zone has a medical emergency? If any untoward incident like a fire erupts where will we go. They should have sealed it with barbed wire on roads.” he said.

Sealing the areas completely with iron gates is also against the new medical policy of the Government.
“How Govt will provide medical assistance and other essential supplies when they are erecting iron walls on entrances of Red Zones,” he added.

The only movement across the red zone boundaries would be for supplies (medical, grocery, and vegetables), medical emergencies, fumigation/sanitation, and enforcement/survey personnel, Medical Strategy reads.

The Medical strategy also says that all entry and exit would be with red zone passes and proper fumigation of vehicles, the safety of personnel and safety tunnels. Call centres would attend to the needs of Red Zone residents and arrangements would be needed for some deliveries into it.” (KNS).

Srinagar: “This is not an isolation ward. This is a jail and we are not less than prisoners here,” said a patient at one of the isolation wards in Sher-I-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences (SKIMS) Soura.
He was seconded by others also lodged in the same ward where Covid-19 positive patients are under quarantine.

However the hospital authorities said that the patients are being given all possible care.

A patient (name withheld), told Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) over phone that his son-in-law had a travel history of Bombay and other parts of India.

“After returning in the last week of March, my son-in-law came to my house and we welcomed him the way we used to in the past. But after few days we came to know that he was tested positive for coronavirus,” the patient said.

“Accordingly My son-in-law was admitted in SKIMS while I was put in quarantine and later admitted in isolation ward SKIMS. They took my samples twice and recently I was told I am Covid-19 positive.” he said.
He said that now he along with others is in isolation ward, the food provided to them has added more to their issues. “I was not used to eat Dals, but here I have no option as SKIMS provides us Dal-rice, cauliflowers.

These vegetables are rich in proteins and have caused urine issues to me.”
Asked why he calls the isolation ward as jail, he said “now that he has urine issue, he wanted to convey the same to the doctors, but hardly any doctor is available in the ward. “They don’t come here,” he claimed.

“On Monday evening I was conveyed from the door of the ward that I have retested positive”

Another patient in the same ward told KINS over phone that though the hospital authorities provide them good food like chicken paneer and vegetables, but they don’t provide them fruits. “The doctors here have advised us to take fruits regularly in order to boost our immunity, but neither they themselves provide us fruits nor they allow our families to bring it from outside,” the patient wished not to be named, alleged.

Another patient admitted in the same ward alleged that despite repeated requests, no authority visited the ward. “We have various health issues, whom should we convey. This is why we call it a jail. In jail at least jail head listens to the issues, but here we have none except Allah,” he said.
When KINS informed Director SKIMS Dr Ahanger, he straightaway said “I am in the meeting. You should talk to Medical superintendent”.

However talking to KINS, Medical Superintendent SKIMS Soura, Dr Farooq Ahmed Jan said the patients are being given best care. “Our doctors are available and our medical staff is there. The issue is that we didn’t allow outside fruit to them which irritated them,” he said.

He maintained that every morning and evening, doctors, even senior doctors review cases. “The allegation that no doctor visits them is totally wrong. Fact is that doctors do visit to the patients in the isolation. There is no authenticity in the allegations that no doctor visits the ward,” Jan said. He said that he will ensure that all the patients in isolation ward would be provided fresh fruit.

Asked why there is a mix-up among the patients, he said that barring few, those in the isolation are not mixed like positives and negatives. “Positive patients are kept separately as per the set levels. We have five different levels where patients are segregation. Entire staff is working day and night,” he said. “There is no question of mixing positive patients with the negatives ones.”

He reiterated that “fruit issue has become a bone of contention” but that issue will be addressed. “We follow proper guidelines. Doctors who visit patients have to wear proper Personal Protective Kit (PPE). So we can’t give PPEs to every doctor for visiting the wards. Patients must cooperate with us as they should understand doctors and nurses are putting their lives on the line while going closer to the patients,” the MS SKIMS said. (KINS)

Srinagar: The Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday informed that eight more cases of Coronavirus were detected today, taking the toll of overall cases to 278.

Government spokesman, Rohit Kansal in his tweet informed that eight more cases were reported in Jammu and Kashmir today, saying that six among them were detected in Kashmir while two others were detected in Jammu region.

He also added that 14 patients from Valley have recovered today.

“For now our luck seems to be holding!!!  8 new cases, 14 recoveries. New cases- 06 from Kashmir and 02 from Jammu Division.14 recoveries, all from Kashmir. Total cases now 278,” Kansal tweeted –(KNO)

Srinagar: Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson on Tuesday welcomed the decision of extending lockdown by PM Modi and termed the move a ‘welcome’ step.

According to statement issued to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Andrabi said the decision was the echo of the aspiration of the nation to fight the killing virus. “We all need to adhere to the restrictions more strictly than before as we are now passing through the critical phase of the fight which will decide the fate of the nation”, said Andrabi.

She expressed hope that people of this land of immense strength will stand united in this fight for survival with more power to contain this unseen enemy right here. Lauding the Corona warriors fighting for all the people at frontline, she said we have to encourage and laud these real time heroes for everything they are doing to protect us.

Praising the seven appeals made by the Prime Minister Modi, BJP leader said that we all need to follow strictly the appeals of PM Modi and inform and mobilize others to adhere to these basic requisites which will help us in our fight. She appealed to all to download Arogya Setu App for enabling us to devise a better Covid- tracking mechanism.

“The huge donations/contributions given by the countrymen to the PM Cares and the State/UT Relief funds speaks volumes about the strength of this country”, said BJP Spokesperson.
She requested all departments and individuals associated with execution of the Central Government initiated Gareeb Kalyan Yojna to take extra pains and caution to implement the welfare and sustenance measures at the grass root level so that all needy people are helped and fed during these trying times.

Dr Darakhshan Andrabi also extended PM’s appeal to Private Sector to take care of their employees in times of extraordinary nature. She said that when whole world is praising the Covid-19 management in India under the leadership of Prime Minister, we all need to strictly adhere to the official guidelines which are issued under the medical expert supervision for the benefit of us all.

Hailing the efforts of Union Health Ministry, Dr Andrabi said that the medical system in India speaks a lot about our preparedness, expertise and pandemic management and it was our responsibility to co-ordinate and co-operate with our medical staff so that they are able to serve us better. She also thanked all volunteers who were doing exemplary work in helping the needy and poor people around us. She also lauded the efforts of the UT administration under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Girish Chander Murmu for the satisfactory management of the situation in J&K. (KNS)